Punters left totally floored as jockeys ‘give up with half a mile to go’ in ‘unusual’ race
RYAN MOORE said the jaw-dropping Savethelastdance was demolishing her rivals so much that all the other jockeys ‘gave up with half a mile to go’.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly was slashed into 6-4 favourite from 5-1 for next month’s Epsom Oaks after bolting up at Chester.
It looks like it will take a special one to beat her after she made a 22-length mockery of other horses in the Chester equivalent.
The daughter of Galileo missed the break but barely got out of breath mowing down the seven other runners.
Nothing got close to her and Moore said the three-year-old was only just getting going as the others begged for mercy.
Moore, not usually one prone to exaggeration, waxed lyrical about the horse to ITV Racing after the 1m3½f procession.
He said: “She stepped out a little slow, but they went very hard early on and she just relaxed and followed them round.
“They kind of all gave up and she was only just getting going.
“I thought I’d just make sure she knew what she has to do and she stretched all the way to the line.
“She was a little edgy when she first went in but she stays well and she was real good the last half mile.
“She’s probably given me as a good a feel in this race as the ones I’ve ridden before.”
The 11-time G1 winning superstar Enable claimed this same race before winning the Oaks in 2017.
Trainer O’Brien said of the Coolmore-owned phenom: “We were delighted with her.
“We were delighted with the way she won her maiden (at Leopardstown last month) and obviously it’s unusual to win a race like that by so far, but she’s very well bred.
“She handled the ground and I think it was soft enough for her when she won on the last day.
“We think she’d be OK back on quicker ground, she’s a good moving filly and I think Ryan was very happy with her.
“We’ll go straight for the Oaks.”
Betfair initially went 2-1 for the Oaks for Savethelastdance but others were more defensive right away, with Hills slashing her to 6-4.
Spokesperson Lee Phelps said: “We did make her a 2-1 chance immediately, but the money flew in straight after her 22-length demolition job and she’s now just 6-4 to give Aidan an 11th Oaks next month.”
Punters were blown away too.
One said: “What a freak.”
Another commented: “That was unbelievable.”
While a fellow Twitter user wrote: “Wins the Oaks on the snaff.”